Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)
The Cat Who Fell to Earth is a curious first-contact novel by Nick Korolev. It follows multiple characters from various backgrounds as they respond to the arrival of an incredible alien creature to their planet. Leading these characters is Crystal, the conscientious, tree-hugging liberal who discovers the crashed UFO and its amazing, furry inhabitant. Serving as her foil is her partner, Dennis, a bigoted Christian conservative. There's also Major Tom Reynolds, a veteran of multiple wars in the Middle East, who must fit the existence of aliens into his combative world view. The titular “cat” alien in this book is named Kedi. Kedi appears to be a bipedal tiger-like animal, although he is smaller than an adult tiger. He comes equipped with a universal translator which allows him to understand and speak in English, although he often speaks in broken English, distinctly lacking articles. Kedi is easily the most interesting character and thing about this book. Of course! He's the alien of the book, the one who shakes things up and largely advances the plot. We quickly learn that Kedi comes in peace. He's an environmental scientist working for an alien organization known as the Confederation of Planets. He has determined that Earth (which his people call “Tellus”) is a dying planet that is en route to destruction, largely due to the environmental havoc and destruction that humans (which his people call “Tellins”) have wrought. He does, however, acknowledge that fluctuations in climate are normal and have happened throughout history. Kedi is a very cute and compelling character. He's also very considerate about the feelings and beliefs of others, not wanting too step over them. What's a bit special about Kedi is how spectacular he seems to the humans, yet how unspectacular he is to his own people. To his own people, he's just a scientist. He's not a president or a senator or a rich business owner. He's a bit of a commoner just like Crystal and Dennis. This supports one of the book's key messages that you don't need to be a rich or powerful person to have a voice and to make a difference. You can be someone like Greta Thunberg and just be loud and obnoxious about how the world is on fire and how it's 395% humanity's fault. So, have less kids, drive less cars, eat less cows, and drink less milk. This book is largely supposed to be about perspectives, showing us different points of views on different issues, namely climate change, global warming, and immigration. Unfortunately, it is rather one-sided with an avalanche of support from the left. Conservatives, Republicans, Christians, and religion are constantly on the losing side of this book. They are constantly treated as “dogmatic” fundamentalists with inflexible, intolerant views. This ignores the fact that liberals, Democrats, and atheists likely have just as many issues with being inflexible and intolerant about different things. For example, which group is more apt to cancel people and businesses over perceived wrongs? Do liberals, Democrats, and atheists not have dogmas of their own? Maybe they're dogmatic about climate change or gun control or the absence of a god. Maybe they're dogmatic against people with certain kinds of beliefs, especially when those beliefs don't mesh with theirs. We're largely centrists, and we can see fault with all of these groups—on the left and the right. Whataboutisms aren't preferable in arguments, but they are valid when comparing two competing groups of people. You can't punch someone in the face, burn their lawn, spray paint “I Hate Your Kind,” then say that they're terrible people because they're violent and hateful. There's a hypocrisy there. So, despite this book seemingly promoting healthy dialogue and discussion on issues, the narrator already seems to have their mind made up. It is unfortunate because there was a great opportunity for this story to bridge the gap and reach across the aisle. Instead, the narrative of this book is already set in its ways. The argument is over before it even begins. There is a VERY clear-cut good guy and a very clear-cut bad guy. There's no flex in that at all. Dennis is despicable. There's little to nothing to like about him. Yes, he smiles and chuckles from time to time, and he is helpful from time to time, but he is portrayed as a pretty terrible and miserable person. Why? Because he has Christian beliefs? Because he is a conservative who is concerned with national security and the growth of the economy? On the flip side, Crystal is portrayed like an angel. Everything that Crystal says and does is portrayed as benevolent and good. Even her Wiccan... um... faith... is portrayed as admirable and good because it highlights how much she loves the Earth and nature. Good grief. We just reviewed two Wiccan books, and LOVED them, and even we aren't sold by that argument, not when it's presented in conflict with another religion (Christianity) which is portrayed as having less valid and inferior views. So, that's what we're talking about when we talk about dogma and not being a hypocritical. If you're going to attack religions, don't then proceed to prop up a religion. It's antithetical to the apparent point of the book. The narrative does let up for better or for worse. It ceases being relentlessly preachy, even catching itself being preachy. However, expect that preachiness to return in 2-3 pages. But we digress. There are a few things to enjoy about this book, particularly the Star Trek-esque sci-fi elements. It did remind us of ET at times. The movie is even referred to a few times. It's also interesting to see how Kedi's people have many of the same competing points of views and power struggles that the people of Earth have. We also loved the lines “Shall we go and meet the neighbors?” and “Tellus humans unique like we all unique, yet are part of a whole.” Check it out on Amazon!
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Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
Mice to Meet You is an adorable, lighthearted children's book by Sylvia Elba. It stars a cute, cuddly, cozy cast of field mice who each have their own, individual wants, needs, and personalities. Furthermore, it is written with a very simple, enjoyable, and easy-to-follow rhyme scheme that will definitely have your child's attention. We'll get this out of the way first: of the half-dozen or so children's books we've read so far this spring, this is probably the best illustrated. The illustrations all have a very uniform, colorful, inviting, and appealing look. They also have a very hand-drawn look, something we definitely appreciate. None of this looks AI or computer-generated. Everything from the mushrooms to the butterflies and strawberries to the mice themselves look good. Everything in this book looks absolutely adorable! Another really great thing is that the author created this book with dyslexic people in mind, and one of our judges is dyslexic, so that's extra awesome. There are thousands of dyslexic children out there who need books like this to get them started in reading. There is very little wrong about this book, but one thing we noticed was that there are a few minor grammatical errors that probably could've been fixed. We can understand “dandminton” as a pun for a sport with dandelions (which is later explored), but “berried treasures” doesn't quite work the same way. The other issue that keeps reoccurring is the misuse or overuse of commas. For example, commas aren't necessary in the following lines: “Sophie loves to tidy, all around her house” “Her kind and helpful nature, makes her friends smile” “A wonderful retreat, where happiness is increased” These are a few very minor examples. And, again, these problems are very minor. You may have noticed in this line “Her kind and helpful nature, makes her friends smile” should substitute the plural “make” in place of the singular “makes.” Few children are going to care about something like this, so it's fine for the target audience. You could even argue that these commas are just used to designate a pause in the reading of a verse of a poem or song, practically to mark a sort of “beat.” We can't definitely understand that. We just thought we'd bring up that a quick edit may have been able to slightly improve the writing of this book. All in all, this cute, beautiful, adorable, fun, and exciting book will awe you and your children with its art and cuddly cast of characters! Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
Cult Girls is a colorfully-illustrated, eye-opening graphic novel about the lives of people who suffered while under the insidious control of organized religion. Specifically, this book is highly critical of the Jehovah Witness religion (often abbreviated “JW”). However, it can be argued that this is a book that could be read by people who've suffered under numerous “cult-like” groups from religious organizations to political and diet cults. Yes, political and diet cults also exist. Even some pop culture fandoms can be cult-like, dogmatic, and toxic. Interestingly, we just read a book (The Little Toy Car) about one man's experience of growing up being controlled by a supposedly-Christian cult and abused by his hyperreligious step-father. These are sadly and tragically experiences that are familiar to many people. It's extra agitating since the travesties in this book (and The Little Toy Car) occurred under the banner of Christianity, supposedly in the name of God. This is an embarrassment and a shame to most true followers of Jesus' teachings, similar to how Al-Qaeda terrorists are an embarrassment and shame to most Muslims. Religious people are not wicked or evil, at least not most of them. Unfortunately, a cult-like or mob-like mentality combined with the accompanying dogmatism and indoctrination of extremists in these groups can cause people to act in despicable ways. This book successfully highlights several dark sides of the religion. We want to say this: some of us are Christians (or are religious) and are sympathetic to the Jehovah Witness faith. There are a lot of good people in that church who mean well and truly love God, Jesus, and their fellow man. Many of them do participate in charities. Some of them even organize and hold holiday parties (ex. on Christmas and Thanksgiving Day)! We've experienced and attended a few, believe it or not. The organizers were still heavily involved in the church and not openly shunned. Many JWs, believe it or not, actually get blood transfusions and other invasive medical procedure. Since some of us are in the medical field, we can attest to that, though Pearson textbooks still mention that these JW restrictions exist, usually alongside mentions of beef restrictions for Hindus and pork restrictions for Muslims and Jews. We even know a JW who is also a Biology teacher, so they exist. With all that said, we acknowledge that the JW organization, similar to others like the Catholic and LDS churches, has some glaring faults and issues. Human beings will be human beings. Power corrupts. The instinctual desire to command and control exists. The problem is, when evil and immoral acts are committed in the name of God, it actually breaks the third commandment of the Bible and the Tanakh. It commits evil in the name of God. It takes his name in vain. So, when so-called “Christians” and “believers” do things like act hypocritically, take advantage of minors, torture, murder, and do other such things, they are actually breaking their own commandments and dishonoring God, whether deliberately or unintentionally. Now, we don't see or read about torture or murder in this book. It's not a book about the inquisition. However, we do see leaders in the JW organization act hypocritically and also maliciously toward others. In particularly, the church leaders are often shown to be prone to anger, rage, and wrath. They're shown as being unforgiving of each and every alleged transgression that their members (primarily the women) commit. It's frustrating to see how members are persecuted, shamed, and treated terribly for the littlest of transgressions (or alleged transgressions). For example, according to this book, a member can be excommunicated after getting a divorce, having an abortion, or even just missing a church meeting. Imagine that! You can really sense the oppression in the air, especially with the nigh-tyrannical church elders (as presented). The book mostly follows Talia Grey, a blonde-haired, glowing, beautiful JW who is heavily criticized and threatened by the church leadership after having a divorce. Talia meets Alan, an Iranian immigrant and medical professional, outside of the church. It turns out that attending a wedding, much less having a wedding, outside the church is forbidden. Well, Talia can't see a life without Alan, someone she shares a lot in common with. Another major character in this book is Rosa, the red-haired Hispanic bombshell who finds herself in an unhappy marriage with Ian, a man we soon learn is actually gay. Now, we actually did not like Rosa at the beginning of this book, and that dislike lasted quite a long time. The way she treats Ian and bullies him over having gay porn is really harsh and seemingly unnecessary. It's not like he explicitly cheated on her (with another woman or guy). He just explored his sexuality privately. Now, it could be argued that this shows how the church equips people to be bigoted against certain groups of people, but Rosa should share some responsibility for the way she acted. This book is incredibly colorful and bright. For the most part, we loved the illustrations by Cassandre Bolan. In fact, the illustrations are really the highlight of this book. They're so bright and so colorful that it kinda reminds us of being in Las Vegas at night! The thing is that it can sometimes be hard to follow at times. Even as comic book readers, there were times when the wordiness and rapidity of events flew by us and went over our heads. It's really dense, especially for a book like this. Also, this book isn't so much a single comprehensive, linear story, it's more like a series of vignettes. One scene after another after another happens, usually following a different group of characters in a completely different situation. Sometimes scenes ended just when we were getting into them. All of them seem to serve the point of highlighting life inside versus outside of the church. Check it out on Amazon! Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)
Hold up. Wait a minute. Somethin' ain't right. This book is one of those books we might categorize as a “beautiful disaster” or a “beautiful mess.” It's really a mixed bag. First, we LOVED the romantic aspect of this book, especially as it pertains to the will-they/won't-they relationship between Rosemary and John. We also loved that characters are allowed to show off all three-dimensions of their lives and personalities. Ida in particular is more than just someone who loves someone, she is a complete person with her own dreams, ambitions, passions, hobbies, a pet, and an extraordinary career. She's an accomplished swimmer, and she's clearly passionate about athletics and fitness in addition to her love for medicine/healthcare. Next, there are some VERY powerful and emotional moments in this book. This is one of those stories, like a South Korean sitcom, that is designed from the bottom-up to get into your heart and squeeze it until the waterworks (tears) come out. Unfortunately, some of the impact of those moments is dulled down by them happening in quick succession of one another (in machine-gun fashion). There is a segment in this book when you feel a character is dying about eight times in a row and in eight different ways. After the third time, it was already getting old and overdone. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but that's what it felt like to us. It almost became humorous, kinda like Kenny from South Park (the character who dies in almost every episode, always in a different way, and never with any real consequence). So, that's the thing: we think this book is supposed to be a romantic-drama of some sort, but it made us feel like we were reading a romantic-comedy at times. There's just something about it that just made us laugh. It's not that the book is bad, it's that aspects of this book seem like a mishmash of segments of other stories that don't entirely fit together. It had us going, “Oh, my gosh, really?!” and “What is even happening right now?” What genre is this supposed to be? Like we said, we think it was supposed to be a romance novel or a drama. However, it has aspects of it that read like a mystery. Then again, there are aspects of it that read like a lost pet novel. How many times does Bongo or Echo go missing and magically reappear at a dramatically convenient time? So... is this a heroic pet story (i.e. Lassie, Flipper)? Then again, there are aspects of it that read like a sports story about a girl who picks up swimming competitively after almost drowning in an accident. Then again, there are aspects of it that read like a medical thriller about a woman who pursues a medical career after almost dying in an accident. Then again, there are aspects of it that read like a missing person story about some girl trying to find some guy who disappeared after saving her from almost dying in an accident. Then again, there are aspects of it that read like a pseudo-superhero/action-hero story about a guy who spontaneously shows up and saves people, then vanishes, flying off to his bat cave or his fortress of solitude. Seriously, John just shows up constantly, saving people from drowning, fires, and seizures. So... he is a superhero, isn't he? He acts like Superman in the video game Superman Returns, just wandering Metropolis looking for random things to do, random people to fight, and random people to save. It's almost comedic how he just warps places (and seemingly across timelines) and magically knows how to save anyone and fix anything (except for maybe himself... cue Darth Plaguis). Then again, there are aspects of this book that read like a family drama about a guy helping to support his older sister with down syndrome. Then again, there are aspects of it that read like the story of a guy who is perpetually dying or almost dying from something new every 30 pages. Or is this the story of a guy at all? Whose story is this supposed to be? Ida, to us, seems like the main character. She is the one doing just about everything in the first half of this book. We get to see her become a swimming prodigy. We get to see her treat about a dozen patients inside (and outside) her hospital. Something about that was... off. We constantly get random scenes in which Ida and John save random people, the damsel-of-the-day. Are we ever going to see Kyle again? Are we ever going to see the random homeless woman Ida gave the shoes to again? Are we just supposed to believe that these random acts of saving people are inspired by John randomly saving her? Why add all of these random, unrelated scenes to show how grand and compassionate a person Ida is rather than just stick to one? That might be our main complaint with this novel: it builds up a Mary Sue and a Gary Stu—these unbelievably perfect, superhero-like people akin to Wonder Woman and Superman. Heck, Wonder Woman and Superman are probably more flawed than Ida and John Murphy! Ida is the perfect woman. She is beautiful (everyone says so, and even the random waiter is distracted by it). She is unbelievably athletic. People constantly talk about how good and fast a swimmer she is. She is unbelievably smart, being the valedictorian of her class and scoring just about perfectly on her final exam TWICE (written and oral). John is the perfect man. He is dashingly handsome, so much so that he seems to have the interest of every woman he comes upon. (By the way, why does Susan even exist as a character? To show how much better a match/person Ida is than her because Ida isn't divorced and doesn't look down on Maggie's disability? How many people have to be thrown under the bus just to highlight how perfect Ida is?) He is incredibly athletic, set to compete in a marathon and being an accomplished swimmer in grade school. He is a literal BOY SCOUT, and not just any boy scout, but a straight-up EAGLE SCOUT—the highest achievable rank in the Boy Scouts of America! Geez Luiz, just give him angel wings and a halo already! But wait, there's more! He LOVES animals and shares an incredibly close, almost-psychic bond with his brown Labrador. But wait, there's more! He's compassionate toward the disabled and patiently cares for his disabled older sister, Maggie, in whom he instills a love for reading (symbolized by the green glass bookmark that gives the book its name). But wait, there's more! He's a medical/scientific genius who can identify problems that other doctors who actually went to medical school can't, then come up with solutions that practically always work for some reason. And everyone listens to him for some reason. They even let him into the operating room to aid with life-saving procedures and to act as a pseudo-advisor... for some reason. Ok, maybe cause he's pretty much always right... for some reason. And we basically get a whole speech about how he'd make the most perfect doctor ever and how he answered the one question that no student had ever answered in medical school. We're so tempted to put “for some reason” at the end of that last sentence, but that would be too easy. You get the point. These two characters are cloying in just how perfect they are. What's incredible is that it's not even the romantic relationship between Ida and John that won our hearts, it was the relationship between John and Rosemary. Their chemistry just seems so much more organic for some reason than John and Ida, perhaps because John and Ida seem to be gender-swapped, interchangeable versions of one another. In fact, we almost wondered if John was Ida from an alternate universe and this was like a sci-fi novel all of a sudden. We also wondered if Ida might be John or vice-versa and if one of them might be transgender... from an alternate universe or something. That's how identical these two seemed to be. They almost blur and blend into each other. Something just feels... off and wonky. It's very difficult to describe, but we've tried. This book just seems like too many great ideas that got blended together. It's like putting tuna or raisins in your fruit smoothie. Tuna on its own is incredibly healthy and some even love the taste of it, but mixing it with twelve other things just ruins it and the other things. It's ironic that we just read a book that had a very similar problem and also dealt with in-hospital work. The book was titled Grave Intervention by Shira Shiloah, and for some reason it featured so many description of the main character, Dr. Amir Hadad, performing his random, everyday doctor duties, complete with in-depth descriptions of medical procedures and medical jargon. Ok, you authors are both very intelligent and did your homework, but there is a plot buried somewhere in here, right? Keep in mind that Grave Intervention is a paranormal HORROR STORY that just so happens to be fixated on an MD doing everyday MD things. It reminds us of those parts from Moby Dick when Melville feels the need to describe every single little minute detail about whaling, whale boats, and whaling equipment. Like, Herman, we just want the dang monster captain to fight the dang monster whale! Is that too much to ask?! Anyway, we're just sharing our feelings and opinions. This book definitely has SOMETHING. There is extraordinary stuff in here, things that made us feel emotions. Things that compelled us. Things that inspired us. The thing is, they're blended in here with so much cotton candy and fluff that it sorta got lost on us. We still think you should check it out and give it a chance! Check it out on Amazon! 90+/100 (9.0+ out of 10)
How does Tuula Pere do it? How does she come up with these ideas? Time after time after time, Tuula Pere keeps sharing these surprisingly deep and complex children's books that break the traditional constraints of the genre. In A Special Sweater, Pere explores concepts like creativity, innovation, resourcefulness, self-determination, and even entrepreneurship! The book follows Eddy, a little boy who develops a passion for knitting. His passion goes largely unsupported by his family members, most of whom find it odd and/or unlikely to be profitable. They severely underestimate Eddy's commitment and dedication to this craft. Eddy, inspired by some fashion designer magazines, sets out on a mission to create a designer sweater of his own. Lacking quality supplies and denied the funds to purchase them, Eddy improvises and shows his resourcefulness and ingenuity, taking advantage of some old, forgotten yarn that was left behind from other projects. Slowly but surely, the sweater comes along. Even when certain colors of yarn run out, Eddy trudges on, using new colors of yarn. His family members go from being uninterested to being curious, even spying on him why he makes the sweater. At last, the sweater is done, and it's both humorous and inspiring. Now, with all that said, this might be the weaker of the four Tuula Pere books this season. Strangely, it's not art quality that's the issue. Similar to You Can Fly, Little Bird, it's bizarrely challenging to read due to the size and formatting of the text. It's incredibly small. Exacerbating the problem, the author decided to use some kind of cartoonish font akin to comic sans. Furthermore, the font color is black. It doesn't stand out well against the mostly-gray backdrop. Also, the first letter of every page is capitalized, a dyslexic person's nightmare. The other thing that was kind of strange to us was that this book ended somewhat anticlimactically. You'd think the family would've come around to realizing how impressive Eddie and his efforts are, but instead it seems like they continue to look down on him and make fun of him. One of them even says his sweater (which is multi-colored and wonky looking) makes him “look like a parrot.” Eddie simply responds that he likes parrots. Now, this does somewhat match the themes of self-determination and self-confidence, but it does seem like a kinda flat ending to an interesting story. We don't want to completely turn you away from this book because these issues weren't major enough to get it to rate under a 9/10. It's just notable. This is the way many business get started. It had us thinking of Daymond John, the founder of Fubu, who started his clothing line in his garage in almost an identical way! Check this out on Amazon! Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)
We want to preface this by saying that Grave Intervention is a phenomenal paranormal mystery novel that we absolutely fell in love with (in the end)! We had no idea that this innocuous-seeming book was going to get THIS good! Grave Intervention follows Dr. Amir as he attempts to solve a series of strange occurrences in his hospital. These occurrences include ghost sightings, hearing voices, electrical disturbances, and even mysterious patient deaths. Dr. Amir becomes convinced that there's an supernatural or paranormal explanation for what he's seeing and experiencing, not only in the hospital but in his community. Slowly, he uncovers facts regarding a mysterious figure named Patrick Doyle, the first man to be legally executed in the town in 1854, whose grave and body were later desecrated, parts used for education or put on display. Amir comes to believe that the ghost of Patrick Doyle has unfinished business, and that it's up to him to make it right. So, with all that said, here are a few negative thoughts that we wanted to get out of the way... Part of what disarmed us in the beginning was that the first 50 pages or so were incredibly boring and mundane, mostly focused on Dr. Amir's medical drama as well as his wife, Camille, with a few strange occurrences sprinkled in. The problem with these two aspects of the novel are: 1. The medical drama, while seeming authentic as it was full of jargon and technical stuff, paled in comparison to the main plot, and 2. Camille seems to serve largely as a superfluous character who really doesn't need to be there. She almost seems like a total waste of page space. The plot is far better when she's absent from it. She reminded us of one of those human characters from a Kaiju movie (ex. Godzilla). You just want them to go away so we can get to the giant monsters doing stuff. The hilarious thing is that the narrator feels the need to justify her existence by talking about how “fearless” and a perfect mother/wife she is. We even get a line about how lucky the protagonists are that she exists. Oh, yeah, she also has her own sub-plot which we totally spaced on that has something to do with a theater production. Thankfully, their daughter, Sami, is nowhere near as annoying or unnecessary, contributing to some of the book's tensest moments and being quite a charming, charismatic little character. A third problem with the first quarter of this book is that it is full of far too many red-herrings, alternate explanations for the strange things going on. This really became confusing, even making us wonder what genre we were supposed to be reading. For instance, it got us thinking: Is this a medical drama about a doctor's everyday, mundane life? Is this a cozy detective mystery about an unsolved crime 150 years ago? Is this a story about an immigrant trying to live the American dream? It this a story about a guy, his wife, and his daughter trying to be a family? It this a story about doctors developing drug addictions and tripping out? Or is this a ghost story? It's almost a tale of two books: a mundane first half about a guy's hospital work and family, and a thrilling second half about a guy's quest to hunt an ominous yet justifiable angry ghost. Please believe us when we tell you this: if you survive the first half of this book, you're in for a ride! When this book picks up and regains some focus, it really picks up! It becomes a full-blown paranormal thriller: a noble ghost hunt! We ultimately loved and appreciated so much about this book. Patrick Doyle, despite being a sort of “villain” or “antagonist,” nonetheless got him sympathizing with him a little. It's fascinating to consider that he was a real life person who actually lived and died by hanging, but that so little is known about him. The fact that the author gave him a back story—an interesting one at that—is quite special! Even some of our earlier complaints have equally valid arguments against them. For instance, Camille might be an annoying, uninteresting character to some readers, but she also provides motivation for Amir to want to solve this ghost debacle. She also shuttles Sami in and out of the story, something which gives us one of the best parts of the book when Sami goes missing. Also, the whole thing about Amir's immigrant status and his quest to live the American dream as a respected doctor in the USA actually plays well into the bigger picture as we learn that he has a lot in common with Patrick Doyle, an Irish immigrant who also wanted a better life. Lastly, all the technical medical talk and jargon actually comes from a place of genuine passion and experience as Shira Shiloah is an actual MD! This book had us on the edge of our seats at times. There were times when we were cheering for Doyle, then there were times when we were cheering against him. We kept wondering: What was it that this guy did that got him executed? Why is he so angry? Was he innocent or was he really a cold-blooded serial killer? Should we actually want him to get his peace or should we be cheering for him to go straight to hell? This actually made us think rather deeply about various things. For example, we happened to read this around the time that Lori Daybell was convicted of murdering her two children. There are absolute MONSTERS like her out there. There have been monstrous criminals throughout our history. Could you imagine dealing with the ghost of one of those? Could you imagine dealing with the ghost of someone who did unspeakable things to men, women, and children? So, we kept wondering: What did Doyle do? It's one of the great mysteries of the story, one which the author waits until the very last second—even after the main plot—to answer! There are constant breadcrumbs and misdirection along the way. We were constantly worried that he might turn out to be some sort of pedophile or child killer, something that seemed implied by how much he apparently liked Sami. Could you really cheer for someone like that to gain peace? Then, this book also got us thinking about capital and corporal punishment. What happens when someone is punished who was innocent all along? How cruel is too cruel? How harsh is too harsh? What really separates a crime like manslaughter from outright murder? Is it really just the intent to kill? We've seen various people convicted of manslaughter on TV lately including various police officers whose actions led to the deaths of people. We're currently seeing a huge manslaughter case unfold in New York City now. This book also made us think about the sanctity of human life and the human body. Should bodies become exhibitions? For example, the catacombs in Paris, France or the various Egyptian mummy exhibits. Bodies used for scientific research could also be included in that list of arguably awful things we do to corpses. When does it become desecration? When does it become immoral? We thought about how ling-chi, the ancient Chinese method of execution involved the cutting off of various body parts to punish the victim in the next life as well as in this one (as Confucian culture suggests that the soul like the body will not be whole again in that state). Isn't it bad enough to suffer the grim fate of being brutally executed? Do they really need to suffer in the afterlife as well? Then again, are there people who deserve to suffer both in this life and the next? Probably. Some serial-killers likely deserve that fate, or those who committed murder in especially heinous ways, against completely defenseless and innocent people. So, where does Patrick Doyle fit on that spectrum? Does he deserve eternal pain and suffering? Or is there hope for redemption left even for him? Even after death? This book's closing scenes are actually quite powerful and emotional. This book as a whole really made us think. Check it out on Amazon! Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)
Valiance by Vanessa Caraveo is not just another novel about someone with a disability. It's not just a novel about an inspirational student-athlete succeeding against all odds. It's not just a novel about a boy who is treated differently from all the other kids—a black sheep. This is a story about people. It's a story about a prodigal older sister (Margarita) who is struggling to find her place in the world with all the attention and effort placed on her younger brother. It's a story about a mother who, despite being an undocumented immigrant from Mexico selling fruit juices on a street corner, is trying to provide a stable life for her family and children. It's a story about a father who is barely in the story, yet his relative absence speaks volumes until the very end of the book. It's the story about a friend (Fernando) who sees the great person that the main protagonist, Diego, is despite his disability and his increasingly-reckless behavior. It's the story of a girl (Seema) who believes she loves Diego yet is emotionally conflicted by the fact that Diego is still wrestling with his own feelings, his own relationship/social anxieties, and balancing his friendship with Fernando. It's the story of a girl (Rebecca) who suffers from spina bifida and is able to deeply relate to Diego. Rebecca is the second example/representation we've seen of spina bifida this season, which is quite a special coincidence. And, yes, it's also the story of people like Tommy, David, Sebastian, Leslie, and Coach Miller, all of whom also stand out as unique, touching Diego's life in one way or another, for better or for worse. But, yes, this is also the story about a boy. A boy with a disability. A boy with a disability who thrives in class and dreams of becoming a professional soccer player like Simon Ollert, the German soccer player who is also deaf. However, that's not all there is to Diego or his world. His world (primarily Sacramento, California), is full of colorful and interesting characters who all stand out in some way. Each and every character plays a role. Even Diego's eventual boss, a relatively minor character, feels real and unique (in the way he deals with problem customers). It feels so... real, alive, gritty, and lived in. This might be the most real-seeming fiction story we've read since Secrets in the Mirror. Something that really helps this story is that no character is just a needless &$#hole for no reason. No character is just pure evil or wicked for the sake of being pure evil or wicked. No character is just corrupt or crooked for the sake of being corrupt or crooked. They all have the one key element that every character should have: MOTIVATION. They all have at least one want and one need. For example, even a minor character like Sebastian Cliffe is motivated by a jealous crush on Diego's girlfriend. Margarita, sometimes a despicable sister/daughter, is motivated by the desire to feel as wanted, as important, and as “put together” as Diego. They all just seem so alive. And, perhaps, that's why this book is so emotional and sad. It's not sad because the main character has a disability. It's not sad because the family in the story is constantly on the verge of being “found out” and deported. It's sad because these people seem so real. They seem so alive. You almost feel like you can get to know these people, touch them, and talk to them. It's a special talent for a writer to produce characters who can seem that way. This book does an amazing job at showcasing both that people with disabilities (especially deafness) can still function in society with relative normalcy. In fact, what's incredible is how the fact that the character is deaf isn't constantly pushed in the reader's face and shoved down their throat. It's very, very subtle. In fact, there are times Diego's deafness doesn't seem to be much of an issue at all, especially when he has the assistance of his hearing aid and when characters are considerate enough to learn to sign (or learn sign language). This book really doesn't seem to be a book that just exploits a disability for the sake of adding emotional depth or stakes to a novel. The same with the topic of immigration. The WEIRDEST characters in this novel aren't the deaf/disabled ones. They're not the immigrants. The weirdest ones in the book are the ones born “normal” yet become monsters of their own creation. There are minor examples like this like David, who became radically Buddhist and Vegan at some point. Then, there's the big example of Margarita. Margarita is really the most interesting character in this book. Despite being older than Diego and disability-free, she allows herself to be consumed with dark emotions that guide her to poor choices, even ones that threaten to get the family deported. Margarita made us cry on multiple occasions because she's a very sympathetic character. Her desperation oozes from the later pages. She is far from pure-evil or irredeemable. There are times when she shows Diego care and affection. There are times when she playfully teases him (like when he's going on his first date or getting his first car), yet there's an ere of jealousy and animosity in her tone. She is such a tragic character! We definitely recommend you check this out on Amazon! Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
Perception is a phenomenal, diverse collection of poems by members of the poetry group Different Leaves, Same Leaves. It was nominated by Joseph McGovern and dedicated to a “Mrs. Kathleen Gowdy” who may have been instrumental in bringing the group together. It is said to be a “compilation of passion embodied” to showcase the artistic, creative craft of poetry. We were impressed by the complexity and skill demonstrated by many of these poets. Seriously! Some of these poems read like something out of General Jack by David Bush or Sacred by O'Cyrus—some of the most eloquent, elegantly-written books we read this year (the latter being a poetry book). This isn't just some fly by night, hastily thrown together poetry collection. No. This book is written and compiled with so much love and care. It has so much heart and soul. It goes above and beyond to be a great book. One thing is clear: the sum of this book's parts is so much better than the individual poems, many of which are already very good. All of these poems—together—elevate each other to a new level. Several of these poems particularly stood out to us. Deeply Involved with... Just a Thought by Alex Garcia appears to be mess (perhaps a marvelous mess), alternating between different stanza and line lengths. Although it is an eyesore, it also has some of the most interesting, compelling storytelling of any poem in the compilation. On the surface, it appears to be written by a frustrated, scorned, and disrespected ex-lover. However, there is arguably a deeper meaning or interpretation to all of this. We're not exactly sure what the poet intended, but following death of the author theory, we interpreted it to be written from the perspective of God: someone who has given everything—life, love, food, water, shelter, family, and friends—to the beloved only to be met with scorn, disrespect, and lack of appreciation. There appear to be hints and clues scattered throughout the poem that this narrative is from the perspective of God. For example, “I am” statements are used to describe this person. Their unspoken name is said to be “priceless” and “[none] greater than this.” There are also evocations of a “prophet”--a term which would imply a religious angle. Furthermore, this entity sounds full of a combination of both love and wrath. There are also such phrases as “pimpin' my name out” and “Ministerial Mercenary” (implying that the name of God is misused to achieve a person's or organization's personal agenda). Another interpretation is that the entity may just simply be “Thought” itself. As Descarte would say, “cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am”). The Trichotomy of a Love Triangle, also by Alex Garcia, discusses multiple different types of love: filial, familial, and eros. While this isn't really that unique or special as a concept, it did give us some beautiful lines. The part that stood out to us was regarding the poet's deceased mother: “...with complete sacrifice she eliminated herself from the equation just so I could have a place on this earth. She knew exactly what I was worth and saw fit to grant me the gift of life through birth.” The words grateful, multiple, and unconditional are later rhymed, presenting us with three different uses of the “uhl” sound. The word and fragment “act” occurs multiple times as a sort of motif in words like act, subtract, fraction, exactly, reactive, action. The second part of the poem rhymes words like blood line, intertwined, and divine--hanging on the “I” sound. Even the words chromosomes and bones are paired--hanging on the “O” sound. Haterz by Marcus Hayes dared to rhyme the word Prozac with “heel [sic] those bedsores on your back.” Unfortunately, the incorrect spelling of “heal” is used here. This particular poem also has one of the most clear and didactic messages, speaking out against racism against Black people. The fact that it uses many of the buzz words that make up the group's name (“root” and “trees”) make us think that perhaps the poet was given the prompt and may have rushed this poem a little. It still features some nice rhymes like the aforementioned Prozac and back as well as together and weather. A Week, a Month, a Year... by Nicholas Raspanti uses some gorgeously illustrative language like river of time, road of time, crossroads of time, and median of eternity. These different descriptions of time give the reader the impression that time is fluid and changing, and that many of our perceptions of time and the events that have happened in them are just that: perceptions. What's the Weather Like Up There...? by Alex Garcia features the phrase Rays of Decisions paired with the word vision, implying that there are many different choices that the poet could make in the situation they're in, and that this is creating a kind of paralysis by analysis. We've noticed something about Alex Garcia's poems. Their poems, when read aloud, are beautiful, but they could use a second hand or pair of eyes to go in and refine them. If they were formatted a little better, perhaps without all the ellipses and clunky parts that look like prose, they'd be perfect poems. Garcia clearly has it, just not all of it (yet..............) Why the Ocean Stops at the Shore by the aptly-named K(c)onscience stands on the complete opposite side of the spectrum: a much more rigidly and traditionally styled poems with clean, consistent rhyme and line schemes alternating between couplets and tercets, creating almost a pseudo-ghazal poem. Every verse has its own rhyme scheme that seems to emphasize vowel sounds, clinging to the “ur”/”or” sound as in pure, sure, shore, more, answers, and winter; the “I” sound as in time, mind, pride, and thrive; the “A” sound as in pain and rain. New Root is a powerful and effective beat-type poem by KG. We noticed the emphasis on the “T” sound in tumbled, task, and trowel; the “C” sound in cracked, collapsed, echo, seconds, and cadaver. Amalgam by KG features one of our favorite rhymes, pairing aligned with labyrinthine, words that share the “I” sound, but that conjure opposite images: one implies a more straight-forward path while the other implies a branching one. I Am Only a Man by K(c)onscience was one of the poems we noted as “cringe” because it mostly employs techniques like rhyming the same words (although it could be argued this is done as anaphora and for emphasis) and speak the obvious. Thankfully, the poet's other words redeemed them. The Unopened Gift by Christopher Dunn is a somewhat adorable love poem, although it could be interpreted as the poet acknowledging the vice/fallacy of putting their happiness into the hands of someone else. Remora by Zander Tippett beautifully pairs the lines blue green with marine, giving you gorgeous aquatic imagery. They also rhyme the words ascend and distend as well as prison, horizon, ocean, and cauldron, words that share very similar sounds yet have very different meanings, evoking very different imagery. Zander Tippet also wrote Natural, a poem which features the phenomenal quote, “I think it strange some would claim something to be unnatural When everything that is and was, and everything that can be Is nothing more than reset pieces of a universal puzzle.” You can almost feel Newton's first law of thermodynamics encapsulated in here, giving the universe an eerie yet strangely comforting sense of familiarity and consistency. There's even a little story in here by Zander Tippet about having an existential moment after catching a mouse in a trap and struggling to end its suffering. It's actually a very interesting and empathetic tale. Anyone who has been troubled by the suffering of an animal (hopefully the grand majority of us) can empathize with this experience. There's also a very powerful, touching, and sad story about a poet whose mom suffered and passed away from breast cancer. The art in this book by Christopher Lee (wait... we're assuming this isn't Count Dracula/Saruman/Count Dooku) range from cool to decent to interesting to unfinished and off putting. It was mostly unnecessary, although we appreciate the effort to add a little extra something to this book. The illustrations on page 74, 77, 104, and 120 look rather cool. The characters look like they could appear in a manga. The scene in 139 of the children watching a house burning is chilling and interesting. The art on pages 76, 155, and 177 fail to impress and don't seem to add anything to the poems that weren't already better illustrated in words. The art on 233 looks like it was going in a good direction, but the artist fell asleep or just neglected to color the rest of the figure. We're not putting much weight into the art either way. It is what it is. If anything, it shows that some extra effort was made to make this book stand out. Something very funny about this book, but that we can easily look past, is that it seemingly features dozens upon dozens of acknowledgments. This isn't entirely unfounded since short-story collections often feature biographical sections after each story, but it did make us chuckle a bit when we had to stop between poems to hear about some poet's 2nd grade PE teacher or their great uncle five-times over being an inspiration to them (ok, we're kinda exaggerating with those two examples, but you get the point). All in all, this is a really impressive and fascinating collection of poems that features some stand out works! Check it out on Amazon! Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)
It is often said by historians that one country suffered disproportionately more than any other in World War II, and that country was Poland. On Sunny Days We Sang is a powerful Holocaust biography about the family of author Jeanette Grunhaus de Gelman, Polish Jews who lived through one of the worst times in human history. This is a very special book to us in more ways than one. First of all, it is a terrific history of a time and a people. It is written in a way that is both enlightening, educational, and truthful while also being more eloquent and captivating than most novels. In the same way that Abraham Lincoln's Path to Reelection in 1884 brilliantly takes you into America during the Civil War, this book brilliantly and boldly takes you into Poland during World War II. After reading Where the Lilacs Bloom Once Again (which took place at the exact same time in Romania) and Holocaust Memoirs: A Candle & a Promise (which also took place at the exact same time in Poland), we are able to notice many of overlapping and familiar elements like the death of Polish leader Jozef Pilsudski in 1935, the Black Shabbat and other such massacres, and the use of secret police or collaborators among the persecuted people. One of the most interesting examples of the latter are the “sanitation workers” in this book. The presentation of this information is done so well! There's an added layer of real-life suspense and drama knowing that death or imprisonment could await any of the people we're following. It's not “dry” or apathetic like some biographies and history-based books we've read. You really find yourselves behind these individuals, hoping against all hope that they can make it out alive and in one piece. It is so easy to think of these events the way that they're shown in documentaries and in movies like Schindler's List: in grainy black and white. However, that's not how people at the time saw things. Not only did they see these turbulent events in-person and in full-color, they felt it. They experienced it. In this book, we get a glimpse of life before and after the war. We see the family, Jewish Poles, singing, dancing, meeting, and practicing their religious/cultural traditions. It feels so real and so... human. It's because it is real and it is human. These are real people who actually lived, and these are the things they experienced. One thing we loved was the brief mention that it had become traditional for parents to buy new clothes for their older children but not for their younger ones on a special occasion, an economical practice because the younger ones would get hand-me-downs. This is how family units operated. It's a sobering thought to think that those terrible times were times where families generally stuck together. There was a structure and normalcy to the family unit. That makes it all the more sad and tragic to see all of that challenged and all but destroyed by the tragic events that sweep through the country. We see men who sacrifice their safety and their freedom to be taken to concentration camps just in the hope of being with their children. It's heartbreaking. Loss and death are sadly to be expected during the course of this book. Even from its first few pages, you're already made aware that many of the people mentioned in this book have passed away. Despite this, you're still on edge, and these deaths still hit hard. One powerful thing that we hope readers will pick up in this book is how subliminally and gradually the processes of hate and persecution grow and operate. Socio-political cults can grow into full-blown movements that lead to wars and millions of deaths. This book does an excellent job at chronicling the rise of antisemitism and the Nazism from multiple perspectives: from the top-down (as has often been described in histories) and from the ground-up—from the very people experiencing this hate and persecution. It is frightening how—like a weed—the Nazi-German influence creeps its way into the world of the Poles. It first starts with some antisemitic signs, then laws that restrict business with Jews, then the segregation of Jews to ghettos (which the author's family preferred to called “Jewish sectors”), then outright genocide. Another thing this book does well is in chronicling how the Nazis weren't alone as a threat to the Jews. At different points, the Soviets had control of Poland (or parts of it), and showed similar distrust and persecution. At one point, the NKVD tells a member of the family that they can't be real Jews because the Germans killed all of the real Jews (implying that the Russians came to view the surviving Jews as potential spies or collaborators). One of the terrifying real-life scenes that just grabbed our hearts was when thousands of Jews were rounded up into a building by Germans only to have grenades tossed in and bullets fired at them. We are given the perspective of a child who somehow seems to have survived this massacre, emerging from the pile of corpses. One especially interesting figure we learned about in this book was Bernhard Falkenberg, a German who was contracted to manage several projects for the German war effort. He reminded us a lot of Oskar Schindler or Willy Foerster, and we were a bit ashamed to only now hear about him. Apparently, Falkenberg slowly and subtly used his position of importance to the Nazis to save as many Jewish lives as possible, knowing that the Nazi plan was to exterminate them. This book does a fantastic job at not only educating us about him, but also showing that he wasn't an angel. Rather, he was very human and rough around the edges. This should be inspiring because it shows that anyone can step up to help prevent injustice and to do the right thing. You don't need to be Superman, Goku, or the President of the United States, you can do your part just as you are. As is so often said but so often ignored, weak men create hard times, and all that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. Jeanette's family proved to be examples to the rest of humanity on demonstrating strength in trying times. We are so grateful to this Jeanette and her incredible, inspiring family for allowing us to have this glimpse into their amazing lives. Check this out on Amazon! Paperback Score: 93+/100 (9.3+ out of 10)
Audiobook Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10) Sora Searches for a Song is another phenomenal children's book by one of our most prolific children's authors, the mother-daughter team at Once Upon a Dance! The book follows a cricket named Sora who is basically the black sheep of her orchestra of crickets. Sora seems to suffer from crippling self-doubt, low self-esteem, and performance anxiety. Part of it is that Sora is constantly reminded by their friends and orchestra mates that they “lack an imagination” or “have no imagination.” They've pretty much gotten into Sora's head and convinced them that they're lame and don't fit in. We constantly get the line that “everyone says so,” perhaps punching home the idea that the negative opinions of other people can seem so much bigger than they really are. In reality, negative opinions are just that: opinions. And they're usually only the opinions of a select group of people. It is hyperbole and exaggeration to think that “everyone” doesn't like you, your work, or the way that you are. The truth is, we often underestimate how powerful, talented, incredible, and influential we are. We often underestimate what we mean to other people. Unfortunately, Sora allows these negative opinions to become ingrained in her psyche, and they take it to heart that they lack creativity, an imagination, and the ability to make music. This can be a great talking point to have with your students/children about how sticks and stones can break your bones, but that words are what you make of them. You can let them get you down and crush you, or you can use them to build yourself up or motivate you. Or you can ignore them. It's up to you! Choice seems to be one of the great themes of this book, something we greatly appreciated. For example, in this book, the reader sis hown a series of dance moves, but are encouraged to make up their own! We really loved this! We sometimes found that making our own dance moves were simpler and easier than trying to rigidly following what was prescribed or suggested. Sora goes on an impromptu journey of self-discovery, trying to find, well... their song (as the title implies). They encounter cicadas, bats, coyotes, frogs, butterflies, birds, turtles, and fish. The chirpy birds, obnoxiously-loud cicadas, and a mysterious unknown river dweller (possibly a barracuda fish or a turtle), make a particularly big impact on Sora. Sora begins to realize that they have a lot of creative energy to put out into the world, and that not every creature has to make the same sound or song. There are a lot of ways to make music and a lot of ways to dance (ex. “Sora could whistle and trill and cluck and coo”)! This book is incredible on so many levels! For one, the art is mindbending and beautiful, but in a very unique way. The art almost reflects a Native American tapestry, similar in style to the Polar Bears Journey by Tuula Pere. It has a distinct “earthy” look full of browns, dark greens, dark yellows, dark oranges, and beige, reflecting the fact that the book follows a cricket who lives close to the ground and in the dark of night. This is in clear contrast to the bright reds and purples in Andi's Valentine Tree or the bright blues and purples in Eka and the Elephants. Although we preferred the more colorful, realistic art in Eka and the Elephants, this book is still stylistically unique and beautiful in its own right. Ballerina Konora continues to be a cute, beautiful, gorgeous, talented, and colorful spokesperson and model for this series, demonstrating all of the recommended movements in a way that's cool and eye-catching. Konora's passion for dance reaches out to you from every page! She comes across as a great, charismatic, and appealing role-model for your little ones to follow along with. The writing is very eloquent and dream-like. One issue that has constantly emerged in this series is that the writing is a bit much when also trying to follow the dance instructions. In other words, every book in the series that we've read so far has been very wordy, something that might test a child's (or adult's) attention span. From running countless “circle/reading times” the one thing you want to avoid with younger kids is to be stuck on one or two pages for too long. That's when they start fidgeting and having side conversations. Thankfully, the fidgeting is somewhat alleviated when the kids are encouraged to move and dance. This book may be more appropriate for older kids (kindergarten to 6th grade). It's easy to get so caught up in the story being told and then be jarred by the dance instructions interwoven in the tale. Thankfully, the author(s) seems to have been aware of that, and you are free and even welcome to skip the instructions and just read the story as a stand-alone story. Now, we have to talk about the audiobook. This is probably THE BEST children's audiobook we've listened to. It is SO well-produced!The Sora Searches for a Song audiobook has a little extra something. The audiobook is incredibly well thought out and structured. The audiobook perfectly utilizes background noises and animal sounds to indicate transitions and to add a bit of “magic” to the book. The narrator does a phenomenal job at bringing the charisma and energy needed. All of that works together to immerse you. The sounds will even pick up while you're doing the dance movements, then settle down to indicate the end of the segment. An owl hooting sound (which we originally thought was a dog) clearly indicates that the story is cutting and the next dance movement is being introduced (or vice-versa). One of our favorite dance movements from this book was creating sounds by rubbing our hands behind our backs, similar to how crickets and cicadas make their songs. The sound effect used seems to be sticks rubbing together or a flint continually being sparked. It fits! Both the paperback and audiobook have a lot to offer! Check them out on Amazon! |
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